Obama Trade Official to Lead Education Trade Mission to Indonesia and Vietnam

WASHINGTON –Francisco Sánchez, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade today announced 56 colleges and universities will join him on the Obama Administration’s first education services trade mission to Jakarta, Indonesia, and Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Vietnam, April 2-8, 2011. The mission will explore opportunities for international student recruitment and partnerships with higher education institutions in Indonesia and Vietnam. More than 20,000 students from these two countries currently attend U.S. colleges and universities.

“Education is one of our most valuable exports,” Sánchez said. “The schools participating in this mission represent the best of what America has to offer international students.”

Education and training rank among the top 10 U.S. services exports. Tuition and living expenses from international students and their families brought in nearly $19 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2009-2010 academic year.

The mission will include education sector briefings and a student fair at each of the three stops, with additional matchmaking and networking sessions with local schools and faculty.

Indonesia and Vietnam are two key export markets for U.S. companies. Expanding educational opportunities for their students will provide direct benefits to U.S. companies doing business with these critical markets in the future.

“As students return to their home countries after graduation and become part of the growing middle class, they will have a better understanding and appreciation of American products and services, and will be more likely to become our next customers,” said Sánchez.

This trade mission advances President Obama’s National Export Initiative which aims to double U.S. exports by 2015, supporting economic and job growth. ITA actively promotes U.S. education as an export throughout its network of domestic and international offices. For additional information, please visit www.trade.gov/trade-missions. Follow the trade mission on Twitter: @TradeGov.

The following colleges and universities were selected for participation in the mission:

Baruch College – City University of New York – New York, N.Y.

Bellevue College – Bellevue, Wash.

California State University, East Bay – Hayward, Calif.

California State University, Fullerton – Fullerton, Calif.

California State University, San Bernardino – San Bernardino, Calif.

Chemeketa Community College – Salem, Ore.

Columbia University - American Language Program – New York, N.Y.

Daemen College – Amherst, N.Y.

Dominican University of California – San Rafael, Calif.

Drexel University English Language Center – Philadelphia, Pa.

East Carolina University – Greenville, N.C.

ELS Language Centers – Princeton, N.J.

Foothill and De Anza Colleges – Los Altos, Calif.

Guilford College – Greensboro, N.C.

Hawaii Pacific University – Honolulu, Hawaii

Hillsborough Community College – Tampa, Fla.

Hofstra University – Hempstead, N.Y.

Indiana University – Purdue – Indianapolis, Ind.

Kutztown University – Kutztown, Pa.

Lake Land College – Mattoon, Ill.

Leeward Community College – Pearl City, Hawaii

Miami University – Oxford, Ohio

Missouri State University – Springfield, Mo.

North Dakota State University – Fargo, N.D.

Northern Illinois University – DeKalb, Ill.

Park University – Parkville, Mo.

Pennsylvania State University – University Park, Pa.

Santa Barbara City College – Santa Barbara, Calif.

Savannah College of Art & Design – Savannah, Ga.

Seattle Central Community College – Seattle, Wash.

Shawnee State University – Portsmouth, Ohio

Spring International Language Center (SILC) – Denver, Colo.

State University of New York at Buffalo – Buffalo, N.Y.

State University of New York at Stony Brook – Stony Brook, N.Y.

Tacoma Community College – Tacoma, Wash.

Tarleton University – Stephenville, Texas

University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, Ark.

University of California - Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz, Calif.

University of Central Missouri – Warrensburg, Mo.

University of Cincinnati – Cincinnati, Ohio

University of Delaware English Language Institute (ELI) – Newark, Del.

University of Findlay – Findlay, Ohio

University of Florida - ELI – Gainesville, Fla.

University of Hawaii at Manoa – Honolulu, Hawaii

University of Incarnate Word – San Antonio, Texas

University of Kansas – Lawrence, Kan.

University of Nebraska at Omaha – Omaha, Neb.

University of North Texas – Denton, Texas

University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, Pa.

University of Texas at San Antonio – San Antonio, Texas

Utah State University – Logan, Utah

Washington State University – Pullman, Wash.

Wayne State University – Detroit, Mich.

West Virginia University – Morgantown, W.Va.

Western Michigan University – Kalamazoo, Mich.

Whatcom Community College – Bellingham, Wash.

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